Substance Use Disorder Increasing Among Medical Residents

Nearly 1 in every 100 anesthesiology residents entering primary training from 1975 to 2009 developed substance use disorder (SUD) during training. The incidence of this disorder is increasing and the risk of relapse or death is high. That’s according to a study conducted by  Mayo Clinic and the American Board of Anesthesiology that appears in the Dec. 4 issue of  The Journal of the American Medical Association, (JAMA).

David Warner, M.D., of Mayo Clinic’s Department of Anesthesiology, says, “Although relatively few anesthesiology residents develop SUD, the incidence is continuing to increase. The problem is as serious now as it has been at any time over the period of study, and the consequences can be severe.”

Click here for news release.

Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Warner are available in the downloads.